Alejandro "Alex" Aclan was presented as the newest auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles on Tuesday after serving as a priest in the city for 25 years.
He is a native of the Philippines, having migrated to California nearly four decades ago. Aclan is the second Filipino-American to ever be named bishop in the United States, the other being Bishop Oscar Solis, who also served in Los Angeles.
"It's definitely the right thing to do," said Louis Velasquez, who has worked with Aclan and other priests from around the world, especially because the "Filipino community is the second largest Catholic community" in Los Angeles.
Aclan will serve under Archbishop José H. Gomez in the Los Angeles Archdiocese, which has the largest Catholic population in the United States.
"He has the face, and the kindness and goodness of the Filipino people," said current Auxiliary Bishop David G. O'Connell of the San Gabriel Pastoral Region.